Patrick McDermott disappeared from a fishing boat off of San Pedro, California on June 30, 2005. According to FOX News, Newton-John reported him missing a week later, but none of the 22 passengers saw him go overboard.

FOX News said McDermott vanished not long after filing bankruptcy and faked his own death.

Private investigator Philip Klein told the Australian magazine “Woman’s Day” McDermott is living in a small Mexican village outside of Puerto Vallarta.

“His lawyer called from Mexico City and said that Patrick didn’t want to be bothered. He hadn’t faked anything. He just wanted to get away from the drama,” Klein said.

The first detective on the case, John Nazarian, also chimed in on the theory.

“It’s rumored he was with a German national. I spoke to people there (in Mexico). The girl he was traveling with was described as having a German accent. To come up with the conclusion that he fell off the boat, and allegedly no one saw him fall off the boat, is the most preposterous thing I’ve ever heard in my life,” Nazarian told Woman’s Day.